Stereoscopic camera.



PATENTED SEPT. l

H. M. REIGHBNBACH. STEREOSCOPICv CAMERA;

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. zo, 19o?.l

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wi t nasser" No. 738,066. 7 PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

I H. M. vREICHENBAG-H.

STEREOSGOPIG CAMERA.

APPLlOATION FILED DEG. 2.0l 1902. N0 IODEL. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

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atented September 1, 19053-,

PATENT OEEICE.r

HENRY M. REICHENBACH, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y

STEREOSCOPIC CAMERA.

'JP-ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,066, dated September 1, 1903.

Application filed December 20. 1902. Serial No. 136.049. (No model.) l

To all w/Lom it 71mg/ concern:

13e it known that I, HENRY M. REIcnEN- BACH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stereoscopic Cameras; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in box-cameras, and especially to cameras provided with two compartments for stereoscopic work, and is manufactured -in three styles, which may be designated as focusing, non-focusing, and reflecting finder or view-composer.

Among the many advantages of my invention (besides that the camera is constructed entirely of press-board or its equivalent eX- cept the operating parts, whichenables me to produce a simple but durable stereoscopic camera at a small cost) are that the camera permits of, in addition to stereoscopic work, the using of a single compartment as a finder, the making of single pictures on the plate when desired7 and in the reflecting type the arrangement allows of oney lens being used to compose the view and project it on the ground-glass plate located on top of the camera, the reector being swung out of the path of light previous to making the exposure.

My invention has other advantages and features of novelty, which will more fully appear in the specification and claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the same, and in which like letters refer to corresponding parts in the several views, Figure lis a front elevation; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the focusing type of camera; Fig. 3, a plan view of same; Fig. 4, a vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a horizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, the platc-holderbeing shown in elevation and the shutter represented diagrammatically; Fig. 6, a vertical section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5, the plate-holder being omitted; Fig. 7, a vertical longitudinal section through the shutter-casing substantially on. the line 7 7 of Fig. G, the front shutter-plate being omitted, showing the shutter mechanism in elevation;

Fig. S, a similar section through the casing to the rear of the shutter, showing the rear shutter-plate and operating-spring; Fig. 9, a partial plan and central horizontal section through the non-focusing type of camera, the right-hand compartment of which is provided with a reflecting finder device; Fig. 10, a vertical section on line 4l0 l0 of Fig. 9; Fig. 1l, a top plan view of plate-holder, showing combined plate-retaining slide and mask in dotted lines; Fig. 12, a longitudinal vertical section through same; Fig. 13, a bottom plan view of a modified form of plate-holder, andv Fig. 14 a verticallongitudinal section through same.

The camera-body proper ismade of any suitable light material, such as press-board or its equivalent, the lens -holders and operating parts only being of metal.

In the focusing type the main casin g, formed from the side walls A and rear wall B, is open at its forward end and provided at its rear end with suitable means for retaining the plateholderin position. A second casing is located inside of the main casing and is suitably held in position therein by the rear wall C, which laps over the side walls D, as at c, and the inner and outer faces of the lapped-over ends c are glued to the walls D and A of the two casings, respectively. These lapped over ends c, it will also be observed, serve as shoulders or spacing means for separating the two casin gs and forming therebetween the spaced guideway or passage E. The inner casing is divided off into two compartments by the partition F, extending transversely from the front wall G to the rear wall C, and this partition is held rigidly in position in any suitable mannerfor instance, as shown, at one end-by the reinforcin g-strip f of felt, which also serves as a light-lock. The front and rear walls of the inner casing Vare provided with suitable openings Gf CO, as is also the rear wall of the main casing, as at BO. The focusing member comprises the front wall Il, in which are mounted the two lenses l I and the side walls J adapted to slide in the guiding-passage E. A cap or cover K surrounds the forward end of the focusing member and is held thereon by the lapping sides 7c, glued to the walls J. This cap or cover K is spaced from the focus- IOO ing member, forming a chamber L therebetween for the reception of a suitable shutter mechanism and the stops M M.

Any suitable shutter may be used, if desired; but in combination with my stereoscopic camera I preferto use the shutter mechanism illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In this construction N represents aback or supporting plate, formed of press-board or its equivalent, provided on its front surface with the grooves or cut-away portion O, in which is operated the shutter-slide P, when set and released by the spring Q in engagement with the rear end of the pin q, passing through the slide P and through alined slots R and R in the cover or cap K and the plate N, respectively. The upper and lower side edges of the shutter-plate P are cut away, as shown, and are provided with the lugs or pins p p', adapted to engage the sprin g-operated releasing-levers S S, which operate independently for time-exposures and conjointly for instantaneous work. The front surface of the back or supporting plate N of the shutter is also cut away, as shown atO O2, for the reception of the releasing-levers S S'. The pivoted levers S S' are preferably of the form clearly shown in the drawings and their inward movements under the tension of the springs n n are limited by the stops or pins s s. The front of the shutter is generally provided with a suitable retaining-plate, (not shown,) which is adapted to be glued to the front face of the plate N and cover the operating mechanism shown in Fig. 7. Through the cover or cap K the retaining-plate (not shown) and the supporting base-plate N are suitable exposure-apertures arranged and adapted at all times to be in valinement with the lenses, and exposure-apertures are also provided through the shutterplate P, adapted to aline with the aforesaid apertures when the shutter is open, but out of alinement therewith when the shutter is set ready for exposure and after the exposure has been made. When it is desired to take a single picture, either one of the circular stops M M may be rotated until the solid portion of the stop closes the lens opposite the same, but in the particular construction of shutter shown the same end may be accomplished. For this purpose the side edges of the plate Pare bent over to form the guiding channels or grooves p0 to receive and retain the sliding auxiliary plate P. (Shown in its open position to the left of Fig.` 7.) This plate, as shown, is only adapted to operate to close the right-hand lens, but obviously may be lengthened to operate in front of both lenses an d is provided with suitable apertures adapted to be brought into or out of alinement with the openings in the main plate P, opposite the lenses, and by means of this auX- iliary plate either of the lenses may be opened after the shutter is set for composing the view through one of the compartments or it may be kept closed when the shutter is re leased, and thus but one side of the plate eX- posed. The auxiliary plate may be operated by any suitable means-such, for instance, as the projecting pin p2, passing through a suitable slot in the front of the camera-casing.

In the non-focusing type of camera the construction of the inner and outer casings is substantially the same as the focusing type, the focusing member being dispensed with. However, the forward end of the main casing is closed by the front wall K', corresponding to all purposes with the cap K. In this construction also the side walls D of the inner casing are glued directly to the corresponding walls A' of the main casing, and the lenses are mounted in the front walls GH instead of in the focusing member of the focusing type of camera, all as clearly shown in Figs. 9 and l0.

In Figs. 9 and l0 I have also illustrated a reiiecting iinder mechanism located in one of the compartments of the inner casing, and although I have shown this modiiication as applied to the non-focusing type, it will be observed that it might readily be applied to the focusing type of camera also. In this construction T represents ahollow cone suitably supported inthe right-hand compartment 'of the inner casing, having a portion of its surface cut away, as clearly shown in Fig. l0, to form a rest or support for the mirror U, pivoted on the rod u to the side walls of the easings adjacent the top rear end thereof. This mirror is operated against the tension of the spring u' by the lever or crank U and is adapted to normally rest beneath the groundglass plate V in the top of the camera to eX- clude the light, which would otherwise be projected therethrough, from the interior of the compartment when the plate is uncovered ready for exposure. This mirror U is also connected to the inner casing in front of and on the sides of the ground-glass plate V by the hood or cover IV, of any suitable flexible light-excluding material, such as black cloth, which is provided with an aperture w, adapted to aline with the lenses when the mirror is in its reiiecting position, which allows the image to be projected on the mirror and thence to the ground glass for composing the view, but which is folded in between the mirror and the ground-glass plate when the mirror is in its normal closed position. In the other forms the ground-glass plate is located to the rear of the camera, as in the ordinary type of camera, and may be secured in the opening BO, (shown in Fig. 5;) but in some instances, where it is only desirable to take a single picture at a time, I prefer to use the specially-formed plate-holder shown in Figs. 13 and 14, wherein the plate-holder comprises two compartments formed by the transverse wall the ground-glass plate forming the rear wall of one compartment, as shown at V', while the other compartment is adapted to receive a plate one-half of the normal size, covered, as shown, by the one-half slide Y.

In the plate-holder shown in Figs. l1 and IOC ICS

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12, generally used in connection with my stereoscopic camera when a double picture is to be taken, I have shown the plate as retained in position in the plate-holder by means of the brass slide Z, adapted tobe covered by the slide Y. This brass slide Z is in the form of a rectangular frame provided with the central transverse cross-piece e, and in addition to forming a means forretaining the plate in position in the plate-holders serves the further purpose of a mat for separating the two pictures on the plate. This slide Z is preferably inserted into the plate-holder in a direction the reverse of the insertion of the slide Y', and the outerl end thereof ma)r project through a suitable slot provided in the camera-casing; but it is manifest that the slides Z and Y may be inserted into the plate-holder from the same end.

Many modifications might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, although I have shown a channel or chamber B2 in the rear of the camera for the insertion of the plate-holder, it is manifest, as before stated, that any other suitable well-known means might be used for this purpose; also, the chamber or channel B2 might be left open at both ends, and when taking single pictures instead of' using the form of plate -holder shown in Figs. 13 and 14 the plate-holder and ground-glass holder may be in two separate parts inserted in the chamber B2 from opposite sides. y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In astereoscopic camera,the combination with the inner and outer casings provided with suitable lenses and exposure-apertures, a central transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, and suitable shutter mechanism.

2. In astereoscopic camera,the combination with the inner and outer casings provided with suitable lenses and exposure-apertures, a central transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, a transverse chamber disposed in front of said lenses, and suitable shutter mechanism operating in said transverse chamber.

3. In a stereoscopic camera,the combination with the inner and outer casings provided with suitable lenses and exposure-apertures, a central transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, a Transverse chamber formed between the rear walls of said casings for receiving a plateholder, a transverse chamber disposed in front of saidlenses,and suitable shutter mechanism operating in said forward transverse chamber.

4. Ina stereoscopic camera,the combination with an outer casing provided with an aperture in its rear Wall, of an inner casing provided with apertures in its front and rearwalls so located in said outer casing as to form a chamber between the rear walls of said casings for receiving the plate-holder, a rigid 5. In a stereoscopic camera,the combination with the inner and outer casings provided with suitable lenses and exposure apertures, a rigid transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposu re-compartments, suitable shutter mechanism, and. means coperating with said shutter mechanism for finding and composing the picture to be taken through one of said exposure-compartments.

6. In a stereoscopic ca1nera,the combination with the inner and outer casings provided with suitable lenses and exposureapertures, a rigid transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, suitable shutter mechanism, and means coperating with said shutter mechanism after the shutter has been set for finding and composing the picture to be taken through one of said exposure-compartments.

7. In a stereoscopic camera,the combination with the inner and outer casin gs provided With suitable lenses and exposureapertures, a rigid transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, suitable shutter mechanism, and means coperating with said shutter mechanism for linding and composing the picture to be taken through one of said exposure-compartments,

.comprising a ground glass plate located in proximity to said compartment.

8. In a stereoscopic camera,the combination with the inner and outer casings provided with suitable lenses and exposureapertures, a rigid transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, a transverse chamber disposed in front of said lenses, suitable shutter mechanism operating in said transverse chamber, and means cooperating with said shutter mechanism for finding and composing the picture to be taken through one of said exposure-compartments.

9. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination with the inner and outer casings providedwith suitable lenses and exposureapertures, a rigid transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, a transverse chamber formed between the rear walls of said casings, a transverse chamber formed and disposed in front of said lenses, suitable shutter mechanism operating in said forward transverse chamber, and means cooperating with said shutter mechanism for iinding and composing the view to be taken through one of said exposure-compartments, comprising a ground-glass plate located in proximity to said compartment.

10. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination with a suitable casing divided off into two compartments, a focusing member slidingly mounted relative to said casing,lenses carried by said focusing member opposite the expo ICO IIO

sure-apertures in said casing, and suitable shutter mechanism.

11. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination with a suitable casing divided off into two compartments with suitable exposure-apertures therein, of a focusing member slidably mounted relative to said casing, lenses carried by said focusing member opposite said exposure apertures, a transverse chamber formed in said focusing member in front of said lenses, and suitable shutter mechanism operating in said transverse chamber.

12. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination with the spaced inner and outer casings with suitable apertures therethrough, of a rigid transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two compartments, a focusing` member slidably mounted between said spaced casings, lenses carried by said focusing member opposite said exposure-apertures, and suitable shutter mechanism.

'13. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination with a suitable casing divided off into two exposure-compartments, a focusing member slidably mounted relative to said casing, suitable exposure-apertures in said casing, lenses carried by said focusing member opposite said exposure-apertures, suitable shutter mechanism, and means coperating therewith for finding and composing the view to be taken through one of said exposure-compartments,

comprising a groundglass plate located in proximity to said compartment.

14. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination withthe spaced inner and outer casings with suitable exposure apertures therethrough, of a transverse partition dividing said inner casing into two exposure-compartments, a focusing member slidably mounted between said spaced casings, lenses carried by said focusing member opposite said exposure-apertures, suitable shutter mechanism carried by said focusing member, and means coperating therewith for iinding and composing the View to be taken through one of said exposure-compartments, comprising a ground-glass plate located in proximity to said compartment. Y

l5. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination with a suitable casing provided with two compartments and lenses therefor, of suitable shutter mechanism, means coperating therewith for finding and composing the View to be taken through one of said compartments, comprising a ground-glass plate and a pivoted mirror in said compartment in proximity to said plate, and means for operating said mirror in and out of the path of light.

16. In a stereoscopic camera, the combination with a suitable casing provided with two compartments and lenses therefor, of suitable shutter mechanism, means coperating therewith for finding and composing the view to be taken through one of said compartments, comprisinga ground-glass plate and apivoted mirror in said compartment in proximity to said ground-glass plate, a flexible hood, provided with an aperture through the same at the outer end thereof attached to said mirror and inclosing the space between the same and said ground-glass plate, and means for operating said mirror in and out of the path of light.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. REICHENBACH.

Vitnesses:

J oHN J. STAHL, CHAs. E. STAHL. 

